Students apply their learning to realworld challenges with a hands-on approach.

The view from here is pretty inspiring.

From the Fort Lewis College campus, you can watch the sun rise from behind a pinion-and juniper-adorned ridgeline, and then see it set behind a sweeping range of mountain peaks, diamond white in winter and cool blue-green in the summer.

Sustainability is part of who we are at Fort Lewis College. To support that aspect of our campus culture, the Sustainability Initiative Grant funds projects that enhance sustainability in our academics and research, student leadership and organizations, administration, and the physical campus itself. “The Sustainability Initiative Grant is an award available to students, staff, and faculty every year for work that supports sustainability on campus,” says Kathy Hilimire, assistant professor of Environmental Studies. “This year, we had a record number of applicants, and we want to highlight the projects of the four winners.”

Sophomore Biology major Lacey Andersen made this incredible music video with her fellow mountain bikers following their National Championship in October. The video was picked up by PinkBike, as well as bike shops and high school teams across the country.

Charissa Chiaravalloti, assistant professor of Music, leads several FLC choirs and performs in a quartet herself. Yet she makes some of her greatest impacts by bringing other artists to campus, where they teach students and perform for the community. "The Artists in Residence program was developed to support the Music Department in bringing in guest artists throughout the year,” she explains.

In between getting settled into her new job at Fort Lewis College and into life in Durango, FLC’s Director of Admission Jess Savage answered a few questions in order to offer some insight into why she decided to come to FLC and what she sees for the College’s future.

When we face trying encounters with nature, we often discover what really matters in our lives. That’s the reason so many people undertake outdoor adventures, from day trips to backcountry expeditions – to learn about themselves by surviving tough challenges. And Josh Kling is the man who takes them there.

If you missed the Climate Change Symposium at Fort Lewis College, you can watch it on the Fort Lewis College YouTube channel. The Climate Change Symposium brought together experts from across the state to discuss the past, present and future issues surrounding climate change.

“We don't build robots,” he explains. “We build the autonomy that goes in the robots and so we're kind of like brain surgeons, really. We put in the computer code. We put in the algorithms that enable the robots to make their own decisions.”